In the fall of 2006, God called a friend and I at the same time to start an orphan ministry in our church. I was not an adoptive parent but God had given me a huge heart for the orphan. We felt we were in no place to adopt at the time having 2 very small children and NO money. In June of 2007, as I was spending hours and hours of research on orphans and waiting children, I came across the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. I knew there was just no way we could bring him home, so as a family we started praying that God would place him in a good, Christian home.
Weeks went by and no one commited to him, and I just couldn’t understand why because even though his medical records were a bit scary he was just so precious (by the way, he is perfectly healthy. He just happens to be missing an arm). In July, my friend who started the ministry with me called and asked when we were going to commit to him. I told her she was crazy because we didn’t have any money and we didn’t meet the qualifications for China. God had different plans and had already started putting just the right people together to make Jaxson become our son.
On the day we finally met the qualifications, my husband called the agency and told them he was our son but it was a walk of faith because we had no money. The agency told us that was great but we needed $6,500 in one week. God not only provided that $6,500, but He provided the entire amount we needed for the adoption in that 1 week. We knew at that moment that we would be paying it forward someday when we could because so many children could have families if money didn’t stand in the way.
After bringing Jaxson home in June of 2008, my heart just ached and ached to bring more children home but things kept standing in the way of that happening. Last spring, I cried and cried out to God asking God that if we couldn’t bring home another child right now that he would at least find a way for me to help other families bring children home.
After many prayers, tears, and research, I found a craft that I could learn how to do and that is when my Etsy shop opened. Over the last year, I have been blown away with how God has used my two little hands to be able to help many families bring their children home.
My heart still aches for more children in our home but I no longer cry everyday over it because God has allowed me a way to care for orphans even if they are not in our home. I pray that very soon God will bless us with another child or two. But, until that day, I will continue to help others bring children home and fight for the orphan.
Sarah, thank you for sharing your story and allowing us to rejoice with you about God worked to bring Jaxson home and how God has called you to live out James 1:27 through your unique gifts and interests! And, thank you for choosing to support The Sparrow Fund specifically this month by giving 10% of total sales this month to our fund.
Go check out Sarah’s Etsy store. Visit her Facebook page. Thank her too for sharing her story and for her challenge to care for orphans right where God has us, and thank her for supporting The Sparrow Fund. Oh, and buy a couple things too. :)
